The End Of All Things
by Ryo Nightray
Summary: AU. At last, it all comes down to this one critical moment. Naruto is at Sasuke's mercy, but can the Uchiha bring himself to kill him? One-shot, hope you enjoy it!


_**Author's Note **__~ Hey people! This is just my interpretation of what I hope will happen near the end of the manga and it probably sucks, but I really hope you enjoy it! :D_

I'm afraid I'm not going to go into the whole big fight thing, but you're just going to have to imagine that Naruto and Sasuke have had an massive and epic clash and now Naruto is knocked out, ok? :)

_**Disclaimer **__~ I don't own Naruto, Kishimoto-sama does._

The End Of All Things

Naruto felt the cold compacted earth against his bruised back, and his fingers weakly brushed the ashy ground as he desperately struggled to use his shaking muscles to pull himself up. But he was so weak. Despite his determination, the fiery pain of his wounds and the overwhelming exhaustion had gotten the best of him, and he crumpled in on himself and lay down.

He heard slow, purposeful footsteps approach him. A figure came into view and stood over him, a dark silhouette against the crimson sky blotting out the light. Sasuke looked down at him, his face impassive, his eyes as dead as the landscape around them.

"Naruto" he said, his voice hollow. Naruto peered up at him. Although Sasuke's pale skin was riddled with burns and gaping wounds, he still had the strength to stand. Naruto was amazed and impressed; only Sasuke could have survived this far.

Naruto's thoughts were broken when a strange stifled sound came from Sasuke. It grew louder and clearer, and then Sasuke was chuckling, his chest rising and falling sharply and his mouth stretched into a dark grin. Then he threw back his head and laughed to the blood-stained sky, his laughter echoing off the stone walls.

He bent over double and grinning with huge, blood-shot eyes he scooped up his sword and held with both hands.

"You'll never defeat me," he sneered mockingly. "I was always better than you, always more special. You thought you could save me"- he sniggered with contempt – "you thought you could save me?" he shouted.

"Sasuke," Naruto begged, staring up at the man he once called his friend. "Sasuke, please…"

"You're too late, Naruto" Sasuke smirked as he ran a finger over the blade of his sword.

Naruto shook his head over and over, his lungs burning and taught with internal agony, tears brimming in his eyes. No, not like this. Not like this. Not when he had come so far and tried so hard … Sasuke wouldn't do it, he couldn't! Sasuke was his friend.

"You're too late, Naruto!" Sasuke screamed, saliva flying from his mouth and blood pouring from his eyes.

He brought back his sword above his head, the blade glinting wickedly in the flames of the battlefield. Sasuke roared and wrenched the blade down.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried with his remaining strength.

The sword swooped down and Naruto closed his eyes.

…

Nothing.

No sudden pain. No coldness of death. Not a breath of wind to break the silence.

Naruto waited. He could feel the cold tip of the blade pressed to his bare torso, but the sword didn't plunge straight into him. He waited longer. And yet still nothing happened.

Cautiously, Naruto opened his eyes and stared up at Sasuke. He remained frozen, his breath caught in his throat, his heart paralysed with shock as he looked at the Uchiha.

Sasuke slowly clenched his jaw and scrunched up his black eyes, his brow furrowing and his body trembling. Naruto thought he was shaking with rage, and was about to ram the weapon through him any second. He glanced up. "Sasuke?" he murmured quietly.

Sasuke was still for a moment.

Then he spat out a pained sob and bowed his head. A tear welled up in his eye, tumbled down his cheek and splattered softly onto Naruto's nose.

"Sas…Sasuke…?" Naruto whispered, his eyes widening and growing wet and itchy.

Sasuke threw aside his sword, and it skittered across the barren rock with a clatter as loud as thunder in the silence. He collapsed to his knees and let out a heart-wrenching moan, his teeth grit so hard that blood dribbled down his lips and mingled with his tears. Then he gasped, his head up towards the dark sky.

"Naruto…" Sasuke murmured, so quietly it was almost inaudible. "What have I done?"

Sasuke's eyes flickered open. The black irises were no longer cold and unfeeling, but glossy and bright with grief.

Naruto stared into Sasuke's eyes, his salty tears stinging the cuts on his face. He gulped loudly, his heart clenched tightly with anticipation and an unbearable yearning.

"I'm sorry" Sasuke said, and pulled Naruto towards him and held him in a fierce embrace, his head buried in Naruto's shoulder and his shoulder's shaking with sadness.

Naruto wept and clutched Sasuke tighter still, his fingers gripping the Uchiha with all his might as if he feared he would vanish like a waking dream if he released him. He wouldn't let him go; he wouldn't let Sasuke go again.

His heart could have exploded with emotion, his chest tense with keeping his joy and sorrow and amazement all within him. Naruto wanted to say a thousand things, but he could only let one word escape his thick throat.

"Sasuke" he croaked as he rocked his friend back and forth comfortingly. "Sasuke."

Sasuke sucked in a hoarse breath and slowly let go of Naruto, holding him at arm's length. Naruto gasped and exhaled sharply and blinked his wet eyes, then let out a short chuckle. A broad grin spread across his face, and then he was laughing his head off as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Sasuke stared at him, and then very slowly, his lips twitched upwards and his mouth softened into a smile. A real smile; the first content smile he'd had in years.

"What are you laughing at, dobe?" he said, tilting his head to one side.

"I…don't…know," Naruto replied between laughs. "I'm just… so happy."

Sasuke smiled and opened his mouth to say something when a distant boom shattered the calm. Both of them tensed and their heads whipped around to the source of the noise. Smoke was rising beyond the mountains, and a fearsome wind had stirred and ash was swirling around in the air.

"It's him, isn't it?" Naruto asked as Sasuke pulled him to his feet.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he stared ahead. "Yes."

Naruto instinctively placed a hand on his bruised stomach. Soon, the seal holding the kyuubi within him might be broken. If Madara managed to extract it from him, would he die? And if he did die, would Sasuke and the others be able to defeat Madara?

He pushed those thoughts out of his head as another boom rattled the sky. His friends might be over those mountains, in danger or dying. He needed to get there, and now.

"We don't have much time" Sasuke said, turning to face his friend. "Naruto?"

Naruto nodded, then he bent down and picked up his headband that had slipped off during the fight. He tied it firmly around his head and faced Sasuke.

"Let's go."

_Once again, I really hope you liked this. Feedback would be very welcome, and I'd also like to hear some of your theories on how _Naruto_ will end. :)_


End file.
